Chapter 45: Awakening

Archangel bridge.

An unspeakable silence spread. Clearly, Alaska was already close at hand, but they lost Li Boyong and Kira in such a place.

These two pilots who had protected the Archangel and fought all the way had sacrificed themselves in this battle before dawn.

How could these people who were protected not feel heartache...

"Beep beep beep beep!!!"

The scout radar alarm suddenly sounded on the silent bridge, followed by the scout's nervous voice.

"Unit shadows approaching from the southwest, quantity two, estimated to be ZAFT military DINNs, expected contact time in ten minutes."

Everyone on the bridge couldn't help but panic when they heard this news and cast their eyes on Captain Murrue.

The Archangel's condition was not good, the ship and weapons were damaged to varying degrees, and it had lost all escort power.

If it suffered an attack from two DINNs in this situation, it would probably be hard to escape the fate of being sunk.

But... just giving up the search and rescue for Li Boyong and Kira, Murrue felt unwilling.

Perhaps both of them had escaped at the last moment and were waiting for the Archangel's rescue.

Even if this possibility was very low, she didn't want to give up.

But what should be done about the new enemies?

Feeling the eyes cast by everyone, Murrue sat on the captain's seat with mixed feelings.

It was just when she was fighting between heaven and man that the voice of First Officer Natarle sounded on the bridge.

"Captain, I think we should retreat as soon as possible."

Murrue turned to look at Natarle in the CIC with some anger.

I saw Natarle, who usually always held her head high, now lowering her head and saying with a suppressed trembling voice: "The ship cannot resist two DINNs in its current state. We cannot let their sacrifice be in vain. Please make a decision, Captain!"

Murrue noticed that Natarle's body was trembling slightly, as if she was suppressing some kind of emotion to force herself to make a calm judgment.

Natarle...

Murrue's heart softened, knowing that Natarle's choice was the most correct one.

She couldn't use the lives of everyone on the ship to gamble on this!

Murrue took a deep breath and made a difficult decision.

"Maintenance crew, repair the engine as soon as possible. The Archangel will set sail for Alaska immediately after the power is restored. During this period, recover the Major, understand?"

After a pause, Murrue thought for a moment and added: "Send the location where Kira and Second Lieutenant Li had the accident to the Orb government and request humanitarian search and rescue. The Orb government will agree."

Natarle opened her mouth, hesitated for a moment, and said nothing, just cast a slightly grateful glance at Murrue.

The Archangel began to execute Murrue's order, and finally recovered power before the DINNs arrived, and recovered Mula Flaga and Unit 1 to hide in Alaska's air defense circle.

At the same time, Alaska finally detected the Archangel's movements and urgently dispatched a huge aviation formation.

The two pursuing DINNs had to return and retreat in the face of this decisive quantity gap.

Finally, the Archangel arrived safely at Alaska, where the Earth Alliance headquarters was located, under the protection of escort forces.

——

【Mission】

Protect the Archangel to enter Alaska and survive. (Completed, reward 5 Plot Points.)

【Mission】

Shoot down any Gundam in the pursuit team. (Not completed, no penalty.)

The system's voice faintly came to his ears, and Li Boyong regained consciousness in a daze.

He remembered that he should have been shot down by Shihe, and then barely stabilized the unit's attitude control before the crash, striving for a moment of escape opportunity.

He pulled the ejection lever in the cockpit, and he felt himself thrown out, and then he couldn't remember what happened.

"But, where am I now?"

He only felt his thinking gradually clear, but his eyes were pitch black. He tried to open his eyes, but found that his body seemed too weak to even do that.

Or... actually, have I died again?

Just when he was uneasy, he felt his feeling of the outside world gradually recovering.

He seemed to hear a familiar girl's voice in his ear.

"Why... he... die..."

"... ra... he... clearly... kind..."

"But... you... this friend killed..."

"This kind of thing is too strange!"

Hearing gradually became clear, he recognized that this seemed to be Cagalli's voice, just with a crying tone, as if she was crying to someone.

Then he heard Athrun's crying, crying about the badness of fate.

Crying about the reunion after the two separated, but they still belonged to different camps and had to fight with swords.

Crying about Kira's harm to his companions, and the painful entanglement of having to kill his childhood friend with his own hands.

Li Boyong judged from this conversation that this should be the scene after Athrun was rescued by Cagalli.

And the facts were just as Li Boyong judged. This was inside a seaplane belonging to the Orb rescue team.

Cagalli questioned the rescued Athrun about Kira's whereabouts, but unexpectedly learned the news of Kira's death, and the shocking fact that this unknown Aegis pilot was actually a childhood friend of Kira.

No wonder... every time that guy finished fighting, he would show that kind of expression...

Also shocked by this matter was Shihe, who was also rescued.

She was not seriously injured, so she woke up earlier than Athrun, so she witnessed the whole conversation between Athrun and Cagalli.

So... Captain Zala was still hiding this kind of thing...

Shihe felt shocked and moved in her heart, and at the same time couldn't help but think of the unclear relationship between herself and Li Boyong.

Is it the grace of saving life?

Is it the grace of not killing?

Or is it a trace of ambiguity that both of them didn't say, but felt each other?

In the midst of all kinds of entanglement, she cast her complex gaze on Li Boyong, who was unconscious on the other side.

Perhaps infected by Athrun's regret.

Shihe struggled to stand up, walked to Li Boyong's side, looked at his miserable appearance wrapped in a mummy, and couldn't help but feel sad.

What on earth have I done...

"What are you doing!"

Perhaps too shocked by the relationship between Athrun and Kira, Cagalli didn't react until Shihe stood by Li Boyong for a while.

She looked at Shihe vigilantly and pointed the muzzle at Shihe.

"Don't be nervous, I just want to see him."

Shihe said lightly and reached out to touch Li Boyong's cheek.

"I said don't move."

Cagalli shouted sharply again, but unexpectedly saw Shihe's side face crying.

Shihe leaned over and touched Li Boyong's cheek, thinking of the various things with Li Boyong.

In the rainy night, the confrontation at the cockpit door...

After the operation, the first princess hug...

When meeting again, the shameless forced holding of hands...

And, the battle after that...

The final picture froze at the moment she shot down Li Boyong.

Shihe finally couldn't help crying out, tears blurred Shihe's eyes, and she apologized in a low voice while sobbing.

"Sorry... sorry..."

"I have never blamed you."

A hand full of medical bandages slowly touched Shihe's cheek and slowly wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes.

Shihe was pleasantly surprised, hurriedly wiped away her tears, and what came into view was Li Boyong's shameless smile.

Just like that day on the streets of Orb, when he shamelessly held her hand, but it was impossible to make people feel a trace of disgust. ===== CHAPTER 46 =====